The Battle For Everything: I Will Go On Until The End
by TheNewIdea
Summary: One Shot. Scooby-Doo has a private life outside out of Mystery Incorporated. It is dangerous, full of homicidal maniacs, serial killers and terrorists. When two of the world's most hardened criminals and a demon lord kidnap the love of his life, all of them out for revenge, it becomes personal and the stakes are raised. Rated T for romantic drama, character death, The Apocalypse.


She was the most important thing in the world to him. The only good thing that had happened to Scooby Doo since Crystal Cove, when he lost everything. Before he found her, he was distant, constantly depressed and on the verge of suicide. But Quinn changed all that. She pulled him out of the water, coughing and a large cut on his head, but alive. Her fur was as wet as his and yet as they looked into each other eyes, they knew. They had found exactly who they were looking for.

As they sat in the back of the Mystery Machine, her head leaning against his as they slept, Shaggy couldn't help but look at what was before him. "Now that's a sight to see" he said to no one in particular, the sun was just rising to a new morning, the dog's heads were basking in it, giving them both halos. Quinn's golden fur shined even more, as the sun rose, while Scooby's simply basked in hers. He must have been dreaming about something very good, because he was smiling and the smile never dimmed, it only got wider as the dream continued.

Velma was busy going over the funds. She was confused as to how they were able to afford the trip to San Francisco. She had calculated the expenses to the tee and they were in deep in the red. Fred has lost all of his money on a gamble, the group was on the verge of collapse. It didn't seem possible. "This doesn't make any sense" she said talking to Shaggy, "We should be flat broke. How did we manage to afford this?" Shaggy shrugged, " I don't know. I thought Fred had the money." "I don't have any money" Fred suddenly quipped, "I'm broke too" Daphne shook her head, she had recently fallen under hard times as well.

Scooby woke up as if on cue. He looked around and saw everyone's confusion. He had recently been doing some work with the government, trying to make a name for himself separate from the gang. So far it had worked. He didn't tell them about it though, mostly because the work was black listed. He had worked with the FBI and several police departments on cases that Mystery Incorporated would quickly decline. Stopping political assassinations and scandals with the FBI and working with the police on homicide and bank robberies. Because of this secretiveness, Scooby had come up with an alibi for every situation. To explain the funds, he told them that he had some inheritance given to him by his late owner, who was a wealthy philanthropist.

San Francisco was ideal for a vacation. Sunny beaches, good museums, great town. They were staying in an apartment that Scooby had found in the high end of one of the more pleasant neighborhoods. They didn't ask any more questions as to how he managed to get the money, the explanation he had given them was good enough.

The apartment was spacious. Big enough for four teenagers almost in their twenties and two dogs to live in comfortably for four days. The master bedroom had a large balcony, with a direct view of the ocean and the sun, made for a very romantic view. Fred was already in the master when Shaggy entered the room.

Shaggy was wearing an Hawaiian shirt, something that he only wore on vacations, since he didn't have any other clothes other than his traditional green shirt and brown faded jeans. He looked at Fred, almost disgustingly and spoke, "Whatcha doing Fred?" Fred could tell that in his tone that Shaggy was not pleased, although he couldn't figure out why. "What's up Shaggy?" Shaggy was not one to speak his mind, especially when Fred was involved, but this time he had gone too far. This was Scooby's trip, he should be able to sleep in the master.

"How could you do this to him?" he said, the anger rising in his voice, "What's your problem? He's a dog!" Fred yelled, getting more annoyed as the conversation continued. "You know how much this trip meant to him. He's giving something back to us, he should get the master and you know it." Shaggy's voice was now on the verge of cracking, "Especially since he now has Quinn." The mentioning of Scooby's girlfriend made Fred sigh, personally he thought that one dog was enough.

Fred looked down at his suitcase and continued to unpack, not saying anything else, after several moments he spoke, "I don't care. He's a dog, it's about as ridiculous as saying that ghosts are real." Fred knew how ironic his statement was, he had spent three years of his life chasing ghosts and creating elaborate traps that never worked. At the end of it all, he knew that Scooby was the one keeping the gang together.

Scooby was standing at the door, "I see how it is now." He was close to bursting into tears, the realization that Fred didn't care seemed almost as real as everything else. "Am I really that ridiculous Red? Why can't I have it? I did this for you." Fred wanted to say that if the trip really was for them, they he should've been courteous enough to give him the master bedroom. But then again, did it really matter?

Scooby left the room, hurt and confused. This was supposed to be his trip, a gift to the gang. But it was also something else. Something that even he didn't expect.

Quinn was sitting on the couch while Daphne unpacked her things; Scooby entered the room, his face a little sadder than usual. Daphne didn't bother to ask what was wrong, Quinn looked concerned "Something wrong?" she asked, hoping to get an answer. Scooby looked at her, trying his best to smile even though he felt broken, "Nothing. I'm fine." There wasn't a whole lot that Quinn could do; she knew that Scooby had his own way of solving problems.

Scooby walked over to the closet, the place where most of his stuff was expect for the basic essentials. The closet was no bigger than half of his body, a very tight fit. On the shelf in a place only he could reach, Scooby kept two things, a folder and a briefcase. He got on his hind legs and pulled out the briefcase. Ignoring most of the contents inside, he opened the compartment he had built and pulled out a ring box. He held it as if it was the most important thing he had ever owned. It was the reason why he came here. It was time to take his relationship to the next level.

Scooby had practiced the lines; he knew exactly what to say and when to say them. The place, which was originally the balcony in the master, would now have to be someplace quiet. There was too much drama in the group for him to do it there, it would raise questions, questions whose answers don't exist-they don't need to. Maybe if they ever been in love and lost it as much as Scooby had, they would understand. But he knew that none of them did. They never would, not until they lost everything that they thought made the world beautiful would any of them understand.

Scooby placed the ring box underneath his collar in a small compartment that he had customized to fit it in. He had been planning this for months, all he needed to pick his moment.

Later that evening, they were all sitting by the fireplace in the middle of the room. Fred, Daphne, Shaggy and Velma had the couch while Scooby and Quinn on the floor in front of them. It was no secret that Fred and Daphne had feelings for each other, they showed it every chance they got, almost gloating at the others. Shaggy and Velma never got as far as they did. They attempted to do sure, but they were just too different to be anything but friends. Scooby and Quinn were secretive about their relationship. All the others knew was that they were together; they didn't know all the details of how they met or why they came together. It just happened. The moment came when it was just the two of them. Scooby thought that the situation best called for fresh air, so they took a walk down the street and into the park.

There were two things that crossed his mind as they walked to a slightly secluded spot that overlooked the ocean, what would she do if she said yes and the exact opposite. Scooby knew exactly what he would do in both situations, one of them was quite pleasant, and the other involved being surrounded by large amounts of water.

They stopped walking and for a moment just looked out at the sea. The moon was bright, as bright as it could be. Scooby looked into her eyes; they shone as if the moon's brightness were reflected into her already radiant being. Scooby bowed down, if she returned the bow then he could present the ring box, if she refused it would mean that she just wasn't ready, if she left the relationship was over. There wasn't a do over; no 'I'm sorry let's get back together' it was just over.

Quinn stared at him; she knew that she loved him enough to accept. But something in her heart said something else. She froze as if in place, Scooby's eyes were locked in hers begging for a response. All she could was leave, she didn't want to, she wanted in her heart to bow in return, but she couldn't. So she left and made up her mind not to look back.

Scooby had never been more confused. He thought that they were happy. He could've dealt with her just standing there, he would've gotten the hint after a few more seconds, but Quinn didn't even respond. At that moment Scooby's heart shattered into a million pieces, nothing in the world mattered anymore. HIs world had just left him standing in the middle of the park, alone and sadder than he had ever been in his entire life.

He thought about jumping over the cliff and into the ocean, to just end it all right there. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Somehow, he thought that she might change her mind. But he knew that she would never be back. She was gone out of his life and she wasn't even out of sight yet.

A white van approached from down the road. It was moving at an incredibly fast speed for a van. A man opened the side door; at first glance it didn't look human at all. The man was wearing a mask made of leather and a straitjacket. His eyes were yellow and he had a strange gas floating around him. The strange figure and the van were heading towards Quinn. Scooby wanted to shout, to give her a word of warning, but he was at a loss for words.

The figure in the straightjacket grabbed Quinn as soon as she was within arm's reach. The van quickly sped up, wanting to get away but traffic stopped it on the highway. Scooby jolted himself from his self induced trance and ran after the van. When he reached the road, he could see that traffic was blocked for at least a mile. It would give him plenty of time to reach the van, if he hurried.

As he weaved through the cars and got closer to the van, he noticed a strange mist was in the air. The cars turned into monsters, the very same ones he had unmasked, the people inside of them transformed into the John Does, the assassins and the homicidal insane people he had helped put away in his private life. Scooby for the first time began to feel real fear.

As the van drew closer and closer, the man in the straightjacket appeared. Scooby could see that it wasn't a man at all-not really. He looked more a demon than anything else. He held Quinn to a syringe filled with a strange liquid; "If you follow us" he said with a hiss in his voice, "then she dies. No police, no FBI. Anything that even looks like a cop, she dies! Understand?" The gas was beginning to get to Scooby's head; he was starting to feel woozy.

"Who are you?" the dog asked, still trying to shake off unconsciousness. The man laughed demonically, "My name is Jonathan Crane. The Master of Dreams and bringer of your worst nightmares." Jonathan Crane? The name sounded familiar, probably one the people Scooby had put away with his work in the FBI. "Why are you doing this? I've done nothing to you!" He said desperately, just wanting to get Quinn away from him.

Crane laughed again, this time more menacingly then before. He looked behind him and another figure appeared. This one was shorter, wore a suit instead of a straightjacket, had a monocle on his right eye and was for the most part bald. Crane looked at him, "Allow me to introduce...Professor James Moritary." Crane mocking bowed at Scooby, while Moritary pulled out a small gun pointing it at him. "You have three days. Give us 22 million or the dog dies" he said with a smile and a wave of his gun. Scooby didn't know what to do, the gas had taken its toll on his senses, he couldn't see straight.

Moritary fired the gun, the bullet entering clean through Scooby's chest. The last thing he saw before blacking out was the white van speeding down the highway and disappearing out of sight.

Scooby woke up in front of the apartment. He didn't know how he got there or why there was a bandage wrapped around his torso. All he knew was that Quinn was kidnapped by two of the most dangerous criminals in the entire world. He stood up suddenly, a sharp pain entered his chest and he was right back on the ground again. He lay there panting and bleeding on the sidewalk, looking at the door to the apartment hoping that Shaggy would come out or better yet, Daphne would wake him up from sleep and breakfast would be ready.

But none of these things happened. This was real and he knew it. Scooby cried for a bit, he wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do. He thought about getting up, but after the last attempt he wasn't about to try it. The pains quickly returned, but there nothing was he could really do about it. But he had to get up; if he didn't that meant one more second that Quinn was in the hands of crazy psychopaths.

With great difficulty he stood and climbed the steps to the apartment. When he got to the door, he was on the verge of collapsing, his legs were as heavy as cement bricks, his head, he didn't even want to think about what Crane's gas did to him. But if Scarecrow was involved that meant two things: he had escaped Arkham Asylum and Batman wasn't available. The nation was in complete shock when Bruce Wayne died of alcoholism and the thirty story plunge he took during that to the ground. Batman was dead, which meant that Arkham was having a feeding frenzy and there was nothing that anybody could do to stop it.

Scooby entered the apartment after gathering the strength he had left. The pain was gone; it had receded during his rest on the stairs. He walked over to the closet and pulled out his briefcase and the folder. He sat both of these things on the table and opened them.

The folder contained documents of the criminal records of Arkham and the San Francisco jail. He flipped through the files and found Crane's. No sign of Moritary's though. A mystery he would have to solve later.

Closing the file folder and turning to the briefcase Scooby pulled out a custom made bullet proof vest with the words: San Francisco Police, sprawled on the back of it. His three bars were seen on the shoulder of the vest, the rank of a sergeant. Also including was a radio headset that linked directly with San Francisco's police dispatch unit and the officers of the Central Police Division. He had gained some friends in high places during his work with the various police units he had the opportunity to stand next to. The one he most closely associated with was San Francisco. As a result of his numerous dealings with them and cracking down on one of the biggest drug busts in United States history, Scooby was made an honorary member of the San Francisco police department, secretly earning his way to the rank of sergeant.

Also in the briefcase were a mag light and a small knife. He hooked these things comfortable on the jacket, closed the briefcase and placed the file folder in the side pocket. All of these now done, he decided to leave a note in case the others woke up or started to worry.

He put all of his things near the door. He wasn't sure if he going to come back from this, but he sincerely hoped that he did. He walked into each of their rooms looking at them all for what he thought would be the last time and left.

Shaggy woke up three hours later, groggy and very hungry. He hadn't eaten anything since they got to the apartment. He got up from bed, put on one of his many green shirts and brown jeans and headed to the kitchen.

The apartment was quiet, quieter than usual. Shaggy noticed that neither Scooby nor Quinn were in the living room. He looked all over the apartment, nothing. It was then that he saw Scooby's things near the door and the note that was attached to them.

Shaggy picked up the note and read it. It was in perfect English

_If you're reading this Shaggy, it means that I'm leaving Mystery Inc. I can't explain why. It's nothing on any of your parts though. This is something that I have to do, I'm sorry that it had to come to this. You'll probably never see me again, but if we do happen to cross paths, I hope it's on good terms. _

_Yours always, Scooby-Doo._

Shaggy's hands were trembling as he read the letter. He couldn't believe it; Scooby was gone, left without saying anything to any of them. His stuff was already packed and piled against the door. It was perplexing. The letter felt thick though, as if there was something else that Scooby was trying to say besides a simple goodbye. Shaggy held up the letter to the window, he saw another letter hidden underneath.

Shaggy pulled the two pieces of paper apart. "What is this?" he thought to himself. Velma woke up, looking for breakfast. "Just in time" he said under his breath. She came in the room, dressed in orange pajamas, her hair as messy as Shaggy's was every day. "Morning Shaggy" she said yawning in between her words. Shaggy didn't look up from the paper; he was too busy walking over to the table.

Velma looked at him, she had never seen him so distraught before, and then she too noticed Scooby's things. She started to piece the pieces of the puzzle together. "What's going on Shaggy?" she demanded. Shaggy's hand were trembling even more so, the second letter more detailed than the first. Velma walked over and read over Shaggy's shoulder.

_Dear Shaggy,_

_ If you're reading this that means that you're smarter than you think you are. It also means that it's time to know the truth. The money that came into our account wasn't because of inheritance; I have been taking extra private jobs. Remember all those relatives I visited? That's all I'm going to tell you, revealing too much now on paper would be dangerous. Whatever you do, don't look for me. I left no clues behind. I have a feeling that I won't be coming from this one. _

"What does it mean?" Velma asked Shaggy didn't have an answer, he was in shock. "What sort of jobs could Scooby be taking?" he wondered. He looked at Velma, "Whatever they are, it must pay well." she said suddenly. The realization was all too clear.

Scooby walked down the street, daring himself to look back towards the apartment. Part of him wanted to, but he knew that it would only make things harder. He had to keep going, he had to find her. That was all that mattered; if he ever came from back this he would explain everything. He knew that this would be the end of Mystery Incorporated, without him it wouldn't be the same, at least he hoped so.

He returned to the scene, hoping to find a lead as to where the van went. The street, for now at least was completely empty. He had to work fast before cars started showing up. In the street he saw tire tracks, the width of the tires matched those of the van-at least he thought they did. Crane's gas made sure that he couldn't examine anything. Going back to the scene was useless.

He looked around, "What am I going to do?" He had no idea. All he knew now was that it was going to be impossible to find the van without having forensic materials. But that would require police, and even though he was considered a cop, he couldn't involve anyone else from the force. He would have to improvise.

There's an old fingerprinting trick involving white powder and a magnifying glass. Scooby figured that the same would work here. He didn't have any plaster to work with, so this was the best option. He just so happened to have some sugar in the back pocket of the jacket, for long nights that required equal lengths in energy. Spreading the sugar over the tracks, he noticed that the tires were made to do off road.

"Interesting" he thought to himself. He could now picture the van speeding off down the highway. It was heading towards Los Angeles. Luckily there nothing in between for them to stop, but the idea that the van has off road capabilities immediately pushed that idea out. It was more likely that they were still in the area; they just wanted him to think that they had gone to LA.

He looked to his right, making sure not to miss anything that could be considered a clue. He found nothing. To his left, a single golden hair was seen. He sniffed it, it was Quinn's. He put the hair in his pocket, and wiped away the sugar on the pavement. There wasn't much more he could do there, without a forensics team and a special operations, getting information was as far as he would've gotten.

It was then that he saw the Mystery Machine. It was at the corner of street, three blocks away. Scooby couldn't let them know, they would want to get involved. "Damn it Shaggy!" he said to himself. Scooby ran into the nearest alleyway, but he knew that Fred would find him in minutes.

Fred parked the Mystery Machine and looked down the street. Looking towards the others he began giving out orders, "Alright, Shaggy you go with Velma and search the north side. Me and Daphne will search the south side." Shaggy looked at Fred, "No. We go together. If there's one thing I know its Scooby-Doo. He's near where ever there's food." Shaggy turned towards the nearest pizza place; the others couldn't help but follow his reasoning and headed towards the smell of pizza.

Unfortunately Scooby was in the same alley that Shaggy and the others were heading towards, he could smell the pizza in the building that his back was behind. There wasn't enough time to hide, no time to take off the jacket and play it off. Scooby was trapped. He would have to tell them now. "This can't be happening!" the dog said aloud, not really caring if they heard or not. Shaggy's voice came into earshot, "Like, come on guys there's the pizza place!" The alley was a dead end. Scooby decided to make this painless and ran out into the street.

Shaggy and the others saw him standing in the street. Shaggy was right at least on one thing, he was near the food. "Well what do you know?" Fred said. Scooby looked at them, his bars shining clearly in the morning sun. "Hello Shaggy" he said, his voice sounding disappointed. "Scooby? What are you doing with that vest?" Scooby walked up, his headset now clear. Shaggy was even more confused than before, "What are you doing with that?"

Scooby rolled his eyes; he clearly wasn't getting the picture. He pulled out the file folder and turned around. The gears in Shaggy's head began to move, "You're a police officer?" Scooby sighed, somewhat relieved that he figured it out, as if he didn't give him enough clues. "Yes, Shaggy." Velma pulled out the account records, "The account?" Scooby smiled half heartedly, "Extra jobs. Black listed." "Black listed?" Daphne exclaimed. Scooby nodded in return. He began walking down the street, he didn't have time to tell them everything at once-he had to get a solid lead.

But Velma wasn't having it. She needed an explanation, one that would make sense. She ran up to him, looked him dead in the eye and spoke, "Scooby listen. You know that I need a full explanation for everything. Tell me what's going on?" Scooby looked down, she had found one his many weaknesses, "Velma, if I tell you. Quinn will die." Velma still persisted, the drive for knowledge overriding her sensitivity, she pulled out three Scooby Snacks and waved them in front of his face.

Scooby did not waver, he didn't even flinch. "What part about Quinn will die, did you not understand Velma!" The anger in his voice rose, an audible growl was heard, "She means more to me. Much more." The insult was crushing, he was not about to sell his love away for a something as stupid as a dog treat.

Velma looked into his eyes, they spoke with all the seriousness the badge and the bars had. There was nothing she could do to stop him; he was clear in his resolve. She stood up and put the treats back in her pocket, tears silently rolling down her face. Scooby looked at her, he felt bad for her. All her life Velma had sought for knowledge, she had to know. Even if it meant the unthinkable.

Scooby straightened his head, ready to speak. He sighed; afraid of what he was about to do, "Alright, I'll tell you." he spoke as clearly as he ever had, almost perfect English, "Quinn has been kidnapped. By the Scarecrow and Professor James Moritary. I have three days to get find her or she'll die. No police, no FBI, no Mystery Inc. I have to do this." Velma was surprised that he was able to speak so clearly, it had always been broken English and slurred words, apparently the seriousness of the situation made his mind switch gears completely.

Scooby looked at the rest of them, "Please guys. Stay away." He ran towards the police station, leaving the others left in shock. He told himself that he would never look back, that he might see them again, if he got out of this with her, he would make that a certainty.

The van stopped just outside of San Francisco. They had come to a small remote shack, no bigger than the average dorm room. Moritary picked up the dog that was tied in a sack, while Crane prepared the dosages.

"I hope this works Crane" Moritary said, "I didn't come back from the dead just to kidnap a stupid dog. I want the money." Crane laughed, surprised at the Professor's lack of ingenuity, "You will get your money Professor, all 22 million if you wish. I'm here for revenge"

Crane pulled out the long syringe and opened the sack. He looked at the dog, it was crying and in pain, "You're suffering will be over soon." he said holding back his hissing. The dog looked at him, "He'll come for me. He loves me" Crane laughed again, this time more maniacally, "I have no doubt he will. That Great Dane has resolve. But it is this very resolve that will be his end."

Suddenly as if out of nowhere, a dark cloud appeared. It hovered slightly over the shack, as it disappeared a dark figure was in its place. It was wearing a black hood and carried a long sword. The figure was on a dead horse, just as devious as the rider, it was the Headless Horseman. The Horseman looked at Crane, and then at Moritary, "This is the best you can do?" his voice ghostly and deep, "I did not release you Crane to bring me this" he pointed his clawed finger at the dog, "I released you to help me bring about the end of my nemesis and to fulfill my masters wishes."

Moritary laughed, "That dog is your nemesis? Really, I feel off a cliff, yes but at least I died by a man." The Horseman sneered at him, "I would dull that tongue of yours Professor. I brought you back; I can just as easily kill you again!" With that the Professor was silent and they entered the shack as stealthy as ghosts in the night.

Inside the shack, Crane had set up a torture room. There was a large table, stained in blood and covered in a white sheet. Next to the table was a rack of various deadly instruments. Moritary strapped Quinn to the table and stepped back, he wanted to enjoy this moment. The Horseman looked at Crane, "Do what you must Doctor. But remember she needs to be kept alive." Crane nodded, "Of course Horseman. I just need to run some...samples."

Crane with syringe in hand, looked at Quinn. He could see the fear in her eyes, exactly what he wanted. "Tell me, what do you fear? Death? A more basic thing, perhaps?" Silence. "It does not matter." Scarecrow continued, "I will make them all a reality." he plunged the syringe into her shoulder, her eyes widened as he did so, she did not want to die, at least not this way.

Her vision began to blur, she could hear someone call her name, its voice raspy and unclear. To her right, Crane stood, taller and more menacing than before. To her left, she could see Scooby lying dead in the corner; his eyes were cold and unforgiving. A single tear could be seen flowing down; she hoped that it wasn't real. She prayed that he wasn't dead, that this was all some horrible dream, that he would wake her up and they would be back in the apartment.

Crane laughed as he watched the dog look desperately at the corner of the room, seeing an image that wasn't there. "You see? I can control them; I can make them bend to our will!" He raised his fist triumphantly in the air, Moritary looked at him. "Controlling minds is all well and good Crane, but I want my part of the deal." The Horseman looked at him, "You're a bigger fool than Crane is, if you think that the dog is going to get you the money. He will go after her."

The Horseman looked at Quinn, "That is to be certain." He pulled out a scroll, "My master commands that he die, as payment for what he has done." Crane and Moritary looked at him extremely confused, "By the way, who is your master, Horseman?" Crane asked. He turned around, looking him straight in the eye, "Nibiru" Moritary's eyes grew wide at the mentioning of the name, "But he was destroyed?" The Horseman laughed, "That's exactly what he wants everyone to think. Nibiru cannot be destroyed by mere mortals. Heart of the Jaguar or not. He will always return, and the time is soon approaching."

Quinn began to shake violently, trying to break free. Struggling only made it worse; soon the gas would take her. She couldn't fight any longer, her eyes continually staring at the corner of the room and watching in horror as Scooby's body began to move and speak to her in a demonic tone, "Why did you leave?" it said. Soon that was all she was able to hear, within minutes she was unconscious.

Crane looked at her, the experiment was complete. "Excellent. This should be good enough, I think. He will stop at nothing to get her; especially now-all we have to do is wait. I will soon have my revenge." The Horseman sneered; he did not much care for Crane for his lust for the death of the Great Dane almost consumed him. Who could blame him? Scooby was responsible for his re-imprisonment at Arkham, the last thing that Bruce Wayne personally oversaw was his incarnation, but Scooby was the one who had infiltrated Crane's hideout, taking out the guards and capturing him. All Bruce Wayne did was make sure that he never saw the light of day again.

The reason behind Crane's escape was obvious. He had help from the Joker. The plan was very simple, Scarecrow, as he preferred to be called, was to climb up the air vent while Joker took the direct approach distracting the guards. He was supposed to hijack the helicopter and retrieve the Joker, both of them escaping with ease. But Crane weaseled him out of the deal and simply stole the helicopter.

"Silence Scarecrow!" The Horseman yelled, "If revenge is your soul goal then you are not fit to be in my presence." Crane bowed lowed, as if submitting, "My apologizes, Horseman. I meant no offense." "Of course you didn't" Moritary quipped, "You're the golden boy after all" The Horseman had enough of both of them and drew his sword, impaling Moritary, his body disintegrating as it hit. The Horseman did not move for Crane, he still had his uses, and he was going to use him to the extent and beyond if necessary.

Scooby knew that he couldn't do it alone. He had no other choice; he would have to take the risk, even if it made him sick. He walked back to the pizza parlor where the gang had entered. He saw them sitting in the window at one of the tables.

Shaggy had ordered a large pizza but didn't eat it. It wouldn't feel right without his best friend with him. "What do we do now?" he said, the others didn't have an answer. They didn't notice the figure that was standing next to the table, or that it was Scooby Doo. "I'll tell you what we do." Scooby exclaimed, "We hit them where it hurts. Directly in the face with a motherfucking gun to their fucking heads!"

Giving them no time to speak, Scooby looked at Fred, "I'm in charge ed." Fred nodded, "Whatever you say" With everyone in agreement, Scooby pulled up the traffic feed of the kidnapping.

The van could be seen heading south towards Los Angeles, Scooby switched over to the highway camera, the van had gone off road, just as he suspected. Velma looked at the van closely, she could see Arkham Asylum printed on it, "We should look at Arkham's prison records. See if they have any weaknesses." Scooby pulled out the file folder from his jacket, "Already done. Crane's is here, Moritary's isn't tough."

Velma was surprised that Scooby had access to Arkham's records; it was one of the secure prisons in the world. Having that information either meant that Scooby had made some powerful friends, which he had- Alfred Pennyworth and Commissioner Gordon to be exact, or that he really did have that authority, which he did, given to him by Bruce Wayne. "This record states Scarecrow's only weakness is the element of surprise." Scooby laughed when she said this, "Good luck with that. The Scarecrow has fear gas, as well as many other things. It'll be impossible."

"Fear gas?" Daphne and Velma exclaimed, Scooby nodded and showed them the footage of the kidnapping from his point of view via the small camera he had hidden in his collar that night, they could see Scooby look around, terrified out of his mind. "Understand?" Crane's voice echoed through their heads, Velma had looked away when the gunshot came. Scooby could only watch and relive his own horror.

Fred looked at Scooby, "Okay, so we already know where the van came from? But why would they kidnap Quinn?" Scooby already had answer, "Revenge Fred. It always comes back to revenge." Shaggy raised his eyebrows, "Like what did you do?"

A good question with a complicated answer. It all started when Scooby had gone to Gotham, before Mystery Inc even came into the picture. He had gone to visit Alfred, a part of the deal that they had struck when he had accidently found the identity of Batman and Robin. The Scarecrow, as he was known, broke into the Wayne mansion and stole valuable information in regards to Bruce's identity. With Batman unable to assist, for this was the time that he had broken his back the second time round with Bane, Scooby was sent in. Infiltrating the hideout was almost as easy as getting Scarecrow to cooperate, until of course he had used the gas. This time however, it had lasting effects entering the person's blood stream making the subject constantly see their greatest fears.

Some of the fears that Scarecrow had created came to life, thus creating the monsters that they had captured and the reason why Scooby spent most of current life afraid of his own shadow. Crane had wanted revenge originally on Batman for allowing this to happen, but he saw an easier target with Scooby Doo and thus the plan was born. The Horseman was a creation of Scooby's greatest and darkest fear-death and eternal loneliness. Things that The Legend clearly presented.

Sitting in the restaurant, Scooby's story now over, the explanation of both The Horseman and Scarecrow explained, Moritary would have to wait for a later time. They got up from the table, exited the building and began setting the trap and formatting a plan.

Outside was the first place they looked, using the footage from both the traffic cameras they made a perimeter. Scooby went towards the highway, the most likely area, while Shaggy searched with Velma on top of the buildings looking for a good vantage point to get a frame of reference. Fred and Daphne took the Mystery Machine and drove past the highway into the desert.

The Mystery Machine idled a bit before shutting off, something that Fred would have to look at later. They were looking for clues; the problem was they didn't know what they were looking for. Suddenly as if out of nowhere, a green beam appeared in the sky.

The Horseman had destroyed the shack, Crane had prepared his final serum, this one would be lethal-he had made sure of that. The Horseman was now on his horse, holding a staff that was emitting a green beacon. He was calling an army, and he needed Crane to focus, "Scarecrow! I told you. I need the gas to be for the entire world. This is all you could give me!" The Horseman was looking at the pile of oxygen tanks, enough for the entire United States to fall under its effect permanently.

Quinn looked at them both; she knew that it wouldn't be long now. The end of the world was coming for a second time and this time Scooby wouldn't be here to comfort her. She was all alone.

As luck would have it Scooby was exactly where he needed to be. He looked up and saw the beacon, "Nibiru...Not this time!" He ran towards the beacon, ready to face the dangers he knew to be there. When he was close, he saw a large black cloud overhead and the sound of a thousand winged demons accompanied with the definite roar of a demon god entity that would stop at nothing to get exactly what he wanted.

Shaggy and Velma got on top of the building; they could easily see the destroyed shack and a strange green beacon. More importantly, they saw the massive army and Nibiru above the sky, heading towards San Francisco. "Get ready Shaggy" Velma said, "What's the plan again?" He asked with uncertainty. Velma picked up the equipment that Scooby had given them, two rifles and combat knifes. She handed one of each to Shaggy, "We fight Shaggy. To the death" Shaggy nodded partially in fear and understanding. This was going to be the end, like it or not, even if they survived and the chances of that were dropping by the minute.

Fred and Daphne ran towards the Mystery Machine, hoping that their part of the plan would be a success. Scooby had said that for every apocalypse there had to be two survivors to carry on. They opened the back of the Mystery Machine and pulled out the trap that Scooby had created for them. It was a bomb.

"What are we supposed to do with this?" Daphne asked Fred, extremely confused; Fred looked at her and spoke, "We are the diversion this time. Set the bomb and we can end this." Daphne couldn't believe on what Fred was suggesting, but she had trusted the plan this far.

Nibiru came upon the city with surprising speed. Velma and Shaggy would be surrounded in seconds. Weapons loaded, they waited as they faced the inevitable. It didn't take long for soon they were within firing distance. Velma fired first, followed closely by Shaggy. Several of the monsters fell, but for every one that fell, seven took its place.

Scooby reached the shack. He could see Quinn strapped to a table. Crane was standing over her, oblivious to the Horseman or Nibiru's attack. All he wanted was revenge. Scooby ran towards Crane, tackling him as he went. "Well, look who it is." Crane hissed with excitement, The Horseman was still too busy with the staff to notice that he had arrived, "I'm going to enjoy killing you. Tell me, what do you fear?" Scooby growled, ready to take him on, "Nothing." Crane laughed as he stood, "Really? Surely you must be afraid of something." Crane looked over at Quinn.

Crane pulled out the lethal syringe, "How about this?" Scooby froze, his eyes widened, he did not want to lose her again. Crane smiled, "So you do fear something after all." Crane jabbed the syringe into Quinn's shoulder, Scooby didn't flinch. Crane was surprised, "It seems that Bruce taught you well. The Batman isn't here to save you dog. She's going to die now because of you" Scooby looked back at The Horseman, still fixated on the staff and his calling, he turned towards Crane once more, "The sooner I kill you, the sooner I get my life back." Scooby rushed towards Crane, knocking over the oxygen tanks, flooding the air with toxin.

Crane stood, the gas strengthening him, "Good thing I developed immunity to my own creation." he said to himself. Scooby became dizzy and disoriented, almost collapsing to the floor.

Fred had activated the bomb; it was primed to three minutes. They had that much time to get out of the vicinity of San Francisco before it exploded. Daphne was driving the van, towards the ocean, hoping to make death as painless as possible.

Shaggy was out of ammo in minutes, he turned to get another clip in when he looked at Velma. She was injured. With the demons coming back around, they only had one chance. They headed for the streets, found a motorcycle and sped off into the distance to the meeting place all of them would be when this was all over.

The ticking increased. The Horseman looked at Crane, "He's mine Scarecrow" He drew his sword ready to strike; Crane just stared at him, "Go ahead Horseman. Kill me; just know that you'll be making a big mistake." "My only mistake was allowing that clown to release you from your cage." The Horseman sneered as he drove the sword into Crane, laughing as he did so. Scooby looked at Crane's body, he was in a way relieved that he was dead but he was also in shock. No one deserved to die like that, not even him.

As the gas continued to fill the air, Scooby moved towards Quinn, trying desperately to undo the straps on the table. Quinn looked at him, "You came for me" Scooby smiled, "Of course I did. I love you" The bonds undone, Quinn got up from the table, "Come on we have to get out of here" The Horseman looked at them, "You're not going anywhere" He raised his sword at Scooby, his horse growled demonically.

Scooby looked down at his jacket. The ticking grew louder. He was the bomb; if he took the jacket off the bomb would go into overdrive, its countdown faster, their chances of escape would be reduced to almost nothing. He looked at Quinn. There was nothing he could say. He turned towards The Horseman, "Nibiru." The Horseman laughed, "Your world is gone. There is only Nibiru. Accept it" Scooby nodded, he wasn't going down without a fight.

Quinn collapsed to the ground. The serum taking its full effects, within minutes she would be dead. Scooby took his attention off The Horseman and looked at her. "Quinn? What's wrong?" The Horseman laughed, "The Scarecrow's finale. She will be dead in minutes, her soul will be mine and there's nothing you can do about it."

Quinn looked at Scooby, partially thankful that The Horseman had allowed them this last moment. Even in those last moments, her face still shone like the sun, her smile white as it has ever been. Scooby looked at her, trying desperately to find a way to save her, but the gas was making it difficult to see. All he could do was hold her in his forearms and listen as the ticking stopped. The explosion would be soon, he wasn't going to let her die-not like that, not like Crane. She deserved to die happy. He kissed her forehead and as the tears rolled down his face and touched her cheek, Quinn smiled and whispered, "I love you" and died.

That was it. There was nothing else keeping him going. He was ready to die, but if he was going to die he would die with honor and dignity. Scooby looked at The Horseman, "You've done it. You took everything from me. I hope you're happy!" The Horseman laughed, "I couldn't be more overjoyed. Now let's fix the part of this story where you live to see tomorrow."

Scooby rushed towards him, not caring if he died by the explosion or by his sword- he just wanted to die. In seconds, he felt the heat of the flames that engulfed him, the sting of The Horseman's sword running through and the dissipation of The Horseman along with the flames. The pain that ran through his body would make anyone man or beast wish for death, then the pain was gone, his body cold and his thoughts slipped into nothingness.

Fred and Daphne stopped the van, watching the bomb countdown to zero as the sun began to set. As they braced themselves for the explosion, they saw a bright flashing light in the distance, the same moment that the timer had reached zero. The bomb was a fake. It took them a few moments to realize what had happened; Scooby had scarified himself for the gang's survival. It was at that moment that Shaggy and Velma came up. "Like. What was that?" he asked. Fred was at a loss for words; it was then at Shaggy and Velma looked back and saw the cloud of smoke overhead. Then all four of them began to cry, as they huddled each other close, they knew that this was the end. There would be no going back to normal; it wouldn't be the same without Scooby in their lives.

The destruction of San Francisco was immense. Nibiru had finally gotten the ultimate revenge. Most of the city was destroyed by the demons; at least half of the population was killed in the attack. The demons disappeared as soon as The Horseman vanished, for he did not 'die' in the explosion. Nibiru had grown so powerful that he couldn't contain it, he imploded.

The Mystery Machine drove through town, dodging the flaming cars and toppled power lines. It was a war zone. They were silent, the shock of the destruction of the city, the reappearance of Nibiru, the demon horde and most of all the death of Scooby-Doo, was too much for any one person to bear alone so they sat together in silence.

The apartment was unscathed, shielded from the attack by the buildings in front of it. As they entered the apartment, all of them with their hearts and souls heavy with grief, began to grieve in their own way. Shaggy headed for the kitchen, making random sandwiches and then leaving them on the counter untouched. Fred sat in his room and stared at the wall, blocking out the world. Daphne began to organize her clothes, from Sunday workout sweats to Saturday party dresses, and continued in this cycle.

Velma sat at her blank computer, wanting to turn it on and at the same time wanting to destroy it with her mind. Nothing mattered anymore, all of her research was completely useless, and everything seemed as if it were going in a tailspin. Nothing made sense. The only thing she knew for certain was that Scooby was dead, and he wasn't coming back.

It wasn't long before they came to realize that this was truly the end. This was the ultimate outcome of Scooby's battle plan all along. To end Mystery Incorporated.

Gathered in the living room and not knowing what to do with themselves anymore, all the while continuing their silence. Velma was the first one to break it, "What does this mean?" Shaggy just shook his head; the shock of the last day had rendered him speechless. Fred answered for him, "It means this is the end" Everyone looked at Fred, their eyes wide and faces baring the look of confusion, "It's obvious that's what he wanted" he continued, "Why else would he sacrifice himself?" Daphne stood up, "No" she said, "That can't be it. He saved us all for a reason."

Fred looked at Daphne, unsure of what to say. It was better just to come out and say it, "Daphne, its over. Scooby came to San Francisco to end it." Daphne was confused, why would Scooby want to end it all? It didn't make any sense, but then a lot of things didn't make sense.

Fred pulled out the small ring box and handed it to Daphne. Daphne opened it, inside was not a ring, but a note.

_Dear Quinn,_

_ I know this isn't exactly a ring, but it's the best I can do. I'm sorry if I'm not what you wanted me to be, but I hope that we can make it better for both of us. If you'll have me, you'll make me the happiest dog in the world. As promised, I will leave Mystery Inc. It's over between me and them. There's nothing for me there anyway, all I want is you. If you do not marry me, I understand. How can anyone as beautiful as you fall for someone like me? _

The letter was simple and well written. Both a confession of love and a marriage proposal.

Scooby-Doo looked down on them, wanting desperately to go down there. His wings were wide and glamorous, it was breaking every rule to return to Earth, but he had to do it. Flying down and landing on the roof, all he had to do was dissipate into the room.

The dog stood in the living room, looking at Daphne as she held his last letter to Quinn. Pulling out a pen and paper, Scooby decided to write one more letter, to his friends.

_Dear Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred_

_ If you're reading this that means I'm in a better place. I can't tell you what it looks like, but it's every bit as beautiful as I heard it was. I'm writing this to let you know that if it wasn't for you guys, I would've been dead a long time ago. _

_ Fred, you're ability to trap things is uncanny. But the best thing you could've trapped was Daphne. Keep her, she's too important to let go._

_ Velma, you're smart. But do me a favor. Let go once in a while. Take some risks, have fun for once in your life. If not for yourself, then for me. I have faith in you._

_ Daphne, please for the love of God. Stay out of trouble. I know it won't be easy with Fred around, but I won't be there to pick up the pieces._

_ Shaggy. You're my best friend. You stood by me through everything. The one thing that I wish I could've done was be a better friend to you. There aren't a lot of dogs up here who can say that they've had decent owners like I can. But I go beyond that. You're not an owner. You're not a friend. Shaggy, if anything-you're a brother to me._

_ Now I have a question for you all...What am I to Mystery Inc?_

_SD_

_ PS-Nothing is impossible._

Scooby looked at them, and placed the letter in Shaggy's pocket.

Shaggy felt that he was carrying something. He searched his pockets and found the letter. Opening it and reading it aloud, he couldn't believe it. Turning around, Shaggy saw nothing.

Scooby laughed to himself, "Goodbye Shaggy" he said as he began to make his ascent, "see you on the other side."


End file.
